Mr Bogart not to run in Pago Pago Stakes

Promising two year old Mr Bogart is out of the Group 2 $175,000 Bowermans Office Furniture Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday and will be sent to the paddock.

Mr Bogart is out of the Pago Pago Stakes, above, red and black stripes, running second to Valentia. Photo by Steve Hart.

Trainer Anthony Cummings said that the wet track made up his mind not to start Mr Bogart on the weekend after he wasn’t completely happy with the Northern Meteor colt.

“The horse has a small issue and the wet track is also a problem, and I think it’s best he go for a holiday,” Cummings told Racing Network.

Mr Bogart was showing tremendous improvement for the Cummings stable after finishing fifth at his first race start to Valentia in a two year old handicap over 1200m at Randwick on February 22, then with the blinkers on he made up plenty of ground in the straight when an eye catching second to Valentia again in the Group 2 $175,000 Hyland Race Colours Skyline Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on March 15.

“He was a bit unlucky last time,” Cummings said.

“He was held-up and when he finally got out he had no momentum.

“He was only beaten a neck and I think that will prove to be good form.”

Cummings will still have runners in a feature race on the glamour packed program and will saddle up Thunder Fantasy and Surge Ahead in the Group 1 $500,000 TAB.com.au Rosehill Guineas (2000m).

Thunder Fantasy is dropping back to three year old company after finishing eighth to Fiorente in the Group 1 $1m Darley Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 8.

While Surge Ahead is also back from Melbourne after running third to Pheidon in the Group 2 $220,000 Sportingbet Alister Clark Stakes (2040m) at Moonee Valley on March 14.

The PagoPago Stakes market order after the scratching of Mr Bogart sees the Gai Waterhouse trained Mr Cha Cha the $4 favourite with Ladbrokes.com.au.

Kumaon from the Peter Snowden stable is the second pick at $4.60 with Klammer and Kuro sharing the third line of betting at $7 just ahead of Modoc and Time For War $8 and Wilderness at $10.

Author: Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.